The present invention relates generally to a device for storing recording media such as diskettes, cassettes, compact discs, often called laser discs or more simply xe2x80x9cCDxe2x80x9d, no matter what the type of recording, digital, audio, photo, video or multimedia.
These recording supports are used more and more and, at present, almost all the world has a certain number of these for their computers, whether at home or at the office, near its hi-fi set or its video recorder and the requirement for having storage means is greater and greater.
To this end, numerous storage devices are now proposed on the market. These devices are usually present in the form of small sets of shelves comprising two parallel uprights, separators disposed parallel to each other between these uprights so as to form pockets in which can be inserted the boxes or sleeves protecting the recording media, and a bottom.
Numerous efforts are being made, especially as to storage devices adapted to be used for audio media, so as to provide devices adapted to constitute a decorative element integrating itself well into the interior decor of the place where the hi-fi set is disposed, generally the living room.
DE 91 10 569 provides storage devices in the form of a rectangular parallelepipedal frame of large height relative to its base and disposed vertically. The upper surface of the frame is shaped so as to simulate the roof of a dwelling.
This device has on its lateral surfaces regularly spaced horizontal ribs between which the compact disc housings must be inserted by sliding.
It will be seen that with such an arrangement, the housings are often subject to wedging during their storage or retrieval.
WO 95 19036 provides, for example, compact disc storage devices having the general appearance of a musical instrument, such as a guitar or a banjo. The device is constituted by a central portion constituted by a beam whose overall cross-section is a flattened xcexa9 shape, open rearwardly of the device, disposed overall vertically and with flat decorative elements simulating the head or the neck, and body portions disposed on opposite sides of the strings. The two reversely curved portions that border the opening of the beam constitute stiffeners ensuring its rigidity. Cutouts simulating the frets disposed on the neck of the stringed instruments are provided in the front surface constituted by the closed portion of the beam; these cutouts are disposed perpendicular to the axis of the neck and are of a height such that a compact disc storage box can be inserted until it comes into bearing against the reversely curved portions of the beam.
The drawback of this device stems from the fact that the compact disc boxes positioned in the central storage portion of the device are not protected and can be subjected to shocks, and the same is possible if they fall from the storage device if they are pressed from the side.
Moreover, these storage devices still remain rather austere and serious in appearance.
The only attractive devices which exist are those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,375, but these are playthings adapted to be manipulated by young children, in the body of which has been provided a window rendering accessible the interior of the plaything to permit the positioning of an audio cassette on which is recorded a story involving the plaything. Such playthings can contain only a very small number of cassettes and cannot be used to ensure their storage beyond the time of sale.
The applicant has thus sought to provide a storage device that will be more amusing so as to give a touch of humor to the serious world of compact discs and which will be such that the compact disc cases will be better protected from shocks so as to be able to be used in the living room as well as at the office or in the rooms of adolescents or even children who more and more frequently have their own hi-fi equipment.
To this end, the invention provides a device for storing recording media, constituted by an element permitting storage of recorded media and decorative accessories, characterized in that it is present in an amusing form giving the appearance of the plaything. The body of said plaything comprises a recess of substantially rectangular shape having the width of the recording media to be stored. At the bottom of the base are disposed pockets adapted to receive said recording media, which are, at least in part, surrounded so as to be partially protected.
The device according to the invention is further noteworthy in that
the body comprises two longitudinal side surfaces, two transverse end surfaces, a bottom defining said recess and separators, disposed parallel to each other, defining between themselves the pockets,
the accessories adapted to decorate the body give to the device the appearance of a real or imaginary being,
the accessories adapted to decorate the body give the appearance of a vehicle,
the accessories adapted to decorate the body give to the device the appearance of a tree,
the accessory is a head,
the accessory is an upper or forward member such as an arm, a hand or a front paw,
the accessory is a lower or rear member such as a leg, a foot or a rear paw,
the body and the accessories have complementary means to hook onto each other, disposed parallel to each other, so as to permit easy assembly and disassembly,
the hooking means carried by the body are distributed over its longitudinal and transverse surfaces,
the hooking means carried by the body are constituted by openings adapted to be traversed by lugs constituting the hooking means carried by the accessories,
the body is rounded and simulates the body of a living creature,
one of the transverse end surfaces of the body is of much smaller size than the other transverse surface.